The release of the first vintage of The Fergus, in 1993, marked a genuine turning point for Grenache in the Clare Valley
Grenache arrived in South Australia in the 1800s and soon found a natural home in warm, dry regions like the Clare Valley, where it ripened reliably and produced generous crops. Through the first half of the 20th century, Clare—like much of South Australia—was dominated by fortified production, and grenache was prized mainly for its sweetness, alcohol and colour in ports and sherries rather than as a fine dry table wine.
As Australian drinkers shifted from fortifieds to dry table wines in the 1960s and 1970s, Grenache suddenly looked old‑fashioned, and attention swung to cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and, later, malbec as the “serious” red grapes for Clare.
Despite its suitability to Clare’s climate, Grenache was high on the hit list of a1980s government-backed vine pull scheme, where local blocks were replaced by more marketable varieties or converted to other crops.
This caused a thinning out of the valley’s Grenache footprint, just as Australian table wine was booming. Crucially, though, not all of Clare’s grenache disappeared. Some growers, such as Fergus Mahon, kept faith with old bush‑vine sites, where the low‑yielding vines gave small crops of intensely flavoured fruit.
These survivors would become the raw material for Clare’s modern grenache story, when the tide turned and winemakers began to realise its potential to produce softened styles with improved early drinkability compared to previous, more rustic iterations.
The Fergus: a turning point for Clare Grenache in 1993
Within this context, Tim Adams launch of his flagship Grenache - The Fergus from the 1993 vintage - marks a genuine turning point for Grenache in the Clare Valley.
A desperate shortage of Shiraz and Cabernet had left Tim with a significant number of barrels, but with no wine to fill them. Faced with the prospect of losing the barrels, Tim persuaded his neighbour, Fergus Mahon, to sell him the old vine Grenache grapes growing on the vineyard opposite his kitchen window.
Harking back to his days under Mick Knappstein at Leasingham in the 1970s, Tim sought to create a wine along the lines of the famous 1975 Bin 46 Grenache based blend.
Rather than treating grenache as a bulk blender or an awkward relic of the fortified era, Adams built a flagship wine around it, using significant portions of old‑vine grenache that might otherwise have been neglected or uprooted.
The Fergus was conceived as a grenache‑led wine that celebrated the grape’s strengths in Clare: generous red and dark fruits, spice, supple tannin and a natural warmth, all balanced by the region’s hallmark freshness and acidity.
Over time, the wine has consistently been based on grenache supported by other varieties such as shiraz (and, in some vintages, small amounts of Malbec or other red varieties). But the central idea has remained the same: Grenache is not an add‑on; it is the personality of the wine.
The Fergus was the wine that showed that Clare grenache could underpin a serious, age‑worthy, red wine in its own right. This happened well before Grenache became fashionable nationally, so in Clare’s context it as an early, confident vote of support for the variety.
Modern grenache in Clare and The Fergus’s role
In the 2000s and 2010s, Australian grenache enjoyed a broader renaissance, and Clare’s remaining old vines, higher‑altitude sites and cool nights proved well suited to a more medium‑bodied, aromatic style.
Against that backdrop, The Fergus functions as a kind of bridge between eras. It honours the old grenache plantings that survived vine pull and declining fashion, yet it presents them in a modern, food‑friendly, blended style that fits comfortably on current wine lists and shelves.
For many drinkers and trade buyers, The Fergus has been their first introduction to Clare grenache as a quality proposition, making it one of the region’s most important narrative vehicles for the grape.
Tim Adams The Fergus 2022 14.0% 6x75cl £92.00
A sensational Clare Valley red blend of Grenache, Tempranillo and Malbec that just works a treat. It delivers a medium-weight, elegant, and savoury red wine with a distinctive Clare Valley signature.
The nose is immediately inviting, revealing lifted aromas of redcurrant, red cherry, and ripe raspberry, layered with subtle notes of gum leaf and an array of dried spices
On the palate, The Fergus is silky and fresh, with a core of red berry fruit—cherry, plum, and raspberry—complemented by hints of dried herbs and gentle oak spice
The texture is smooth, with well-integrated, fine tannins and a balanced structure that gives the wine excellent line and length. The finish is long and seamless, with lingering red fruit and a subtle savoury complexity.
Approachable now, this Clare Valley red blend is both delicious and versatile, pairing beautifully with a wide range of dishes from duck and lamb to spicy cuisine. It offers immediate enjoyment but also has the structure to reward through to 2034.
